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With each step, he sighs in relief as the pleasant chill of Rio’s waters comfort him from the sweltering heat. The waves splash against his sweat slicked thighs, fingers brushing the surface as he wades further and further.
Once he’s waist deep, away from the sounds chatter on the beach, he closes his eyes, a small smile gracing his sun-kissed face as he listens to the ocean’s crescendo, as it rises to the shoreline and it’s diminuendo into that short moment of stillness and quietness. The clarity before the waters continue its da capo of rises and falls.
It’s in that small blip of total solitude where Shouyou recenters himself as the water recedes quietly as it comes. Opening his eyes, a full smile blooms across his features as he scoops the water in his hands and splashes his face. His tongue swipes across the bottom of his lips, tasting the salt that lingers.
He stands there, looking at the sun as it starts to dip low towards the horizon.
There’s something about Rio sunsets that will never get old to Shouyou.
In that moment, he thinks about the road that got him here.
Thinks about the younger version of himself, sitting on his bike as he stops to watch a volleyball match on TV. Being so inspired, so moved that he felt like Hey, I can do that too!
Studying, training. Going to Karasuno, reuniting with Tobio as a teammate. With each game, with each encounter, there was always something that blocked his view of the other side.
You’re too short.
He’s not smart.
No talent.
His growth, his need, his hunger and greed for the sport grew and grew. Always learning, ever evolving; every challenger was met head on, victories were celebrated; losses were studied. Failure was the fuel to keep his head up high, and to keep striving.
He had dedicated his high school career to volleyball; after that? What more could he do? He couldn’t go straight to Pro, he didn’t have the natural skill like Tobio, like Atsumu. He needed to be better.
The ghosts of his high school years still haunted him, useless , talentless, a scrub.
To be able to stand on that court—to be valued as a teammate and not just a decoy, he had to get better. He needed to be better.
“Beach Volleyball?” Washijo-sensei had questioned him. But in the end, he had helped him, connected him with an alumni. Figured he could give him the tools he needed if he was indeed that serious. He hadn’t been Shouyou’s biggest fan, but he supported him nevertheless. In the end, Shouyou thinks he converted him to believe in him, and trust that he’d make it.
Shouyou had vibrated with excitement and nervousness once he stepped foot of that plane onto Rio soil. He had no idea what to expect, he had no idea what was his path. All he knew was volleyball, and his greed to learn as much of it as he could.
Settling into a new country had created a new high and a new low. The low had come to a boiling point: flat tire, unable to communicate with his roommate, a lost wallet. Shouyou sat in a corner and cried.
Not wanting to be defeated by just one bad day, he ventured to the beach. The bright lights that lit up the beach courts, the smell of the ocean, the feel of sand under his feet as he sunk with each step towards the court.
Instantly, Shouyou had felt more like himself. The comfort of being on a court, even if it was a different medium, helped him re-center himself.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding. No, seriously? Here? Of all places? You’ve got to be kidding me!”
Shouyou turned curiously to the Japanese being spoken off to the side, instant shock and awe at who stood before him.
“The Great King!”
The events after that, had shaken Shouyou to his core. A sense of comfort, relief, a piece of home that he needed. A whirlwind romance, a secret love affair that he’d keep close to his heart.
Volleyball keeps you connected.
It was crazy, how many layers, how many meanings could be found in such a simple phrase.
Although Tooru had left, Shouyou no longer felt lonely. Knowing that the man was just one country over, gave him the encouragement he needed to finish out the rest of his time in Brazil.
Leaving Brazil had been hard, the country had grown on him significantly and had started to feel more and more like home. Add Tooru seeing him off his final night in Rio tangled up in bedsheets and limbs, whispering sweet nothings, feeling nothing but his breath on his skin, had made it even more difficult to get up and leave.
Tooru had even taken him to the airport, teasing Shouyou about being so emotional about the departure.
The grand king ruffled his hair with his catlike smirk and said, “I know you’ll do great Ninja Shouyou. Go kick their asses. I’ll be seeing you.”
They had hugged one more time, sending Shouyou off with such a deeply passionate kiss, Shouyou was sure it was branded into his lip and into his memory banks.
Tooru’s presence had struck a chord so deep that he found his way into Shouyou’s mind constantly; settling into the space between thought processes, in between the autonomous movements and active thoughts; they were always small blips on his radar, subtle yet they screamed to be brought to the forefront of his mind.
I wonder how he’s doing.
I miss him.
I want to see him.
His days back in Japan had melded together, blurring quickly under the onslaught of Tooru Oikawa at the back of his mind. He was one step closer to reaching his goal of coming back to Japan to play on the MSBY jackals, to prevail over Tobio for the first time since they went their separate ways. He shouldn’t be distracted at such a critical time, but his nights were haunted by ghosted lips and touches on his skin.
It wasn’t till after the MSBY Black Jackals had won over the Schweiden Adlers that he realized, as happy as he was to have finally beat Tobio, on his debut game no less; that as happy as he was to celebrate with old and new friends, there was just one person that he wanted to celebrate with so much more.
Me: Oikawa-san! I won!
Oikawa-san: I saw ;) Congrats Sho-kun! Enjoy your night.
That was the first of the subsequent texts that happened thereafter. It had started as daily chats to say good morning, to check in and see how the other was doing. It progressed into phone calls on the weekends and then video calls during practices. It turned into naughty pictures and explicit texts and phone calls.
It had happened so quickly so effortlessly, and made Shouyou realize: this was far beyond a crush, more than just lust from a passion filled week.
He liked Tooru, possibly even, loved him.
Shouyou started to think more about his future. He loved being home, he loved his MSBY teammates, but there was still one thing lacking.
The sunshine, the happiness he felt when Tooru had been with him for that one week.
“Tooru-kun, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Oh-hoh? What’s this Sho-kun? Something on your mind?”
“I’ve been thinking lately…”
“Hmmm, thinking can be dangerous for someone like you.”
“Hey! I’m being serious here!”
Tooru laughed, “Sorry, you set yourself up. But, tell me. What’s on your mind.”
“My contract here is ending soon…”
“Mm hmm, and?”
“And, Asas Sao Paolo’s team has offered me a spot…”
“Oh,” breathed out Tooru, Shouyou swore he could hear the other man swallow thickly as he said, “Are…you thinking of coming back?”
“Yes,” he breathed out, “I miss Rio, it was really becoming home you know,” especially with you there , he finished his sentence in his thoughts.
“How long?”
“A year, but there's an opportunity for extension at the end.”
“What do you want, Chibi-chan? Is there something in Rio that you can’t have in Japan?”
You, his mind supplies before making his mind and putting in a way he hopes Tooru will understand, “Tooru-kun,” he replies, “let’s play more beach volleyball.”
Shouyou hears Tooru hum at that, the lilt of his voice gives away an unseen smile spreading across Tooru’s face, “Yes. I’d love that. Let’s play more Sho-kun.”
Every interaction after that call had shifted subtly. It was more affectionate, more hopeful as they counted down the days till they could see one another again. Shouyou’s smiles were bigger after every text, every photo, every call and video session, and he was shaper on court.
MSBY threw a huge bon voyage party for Shouyou, inviting all his friends and family; even various opponents from his past. Everyone knew this move back to Brazil was semi-permanent. Shouyou seemed intent on coming back to Rio with no return date in sight.
He’d been so happy to be surrounded by such wonderful friends, a supportive family, and tons of people rooting for him to chase what he wanted. Little did they know, Shouyou was chasing the love of his life, and it wasn’t volleyball.
The nostalgia of a new beginning, hit Shouyou once more as he disembarked once more unto Rio soil.
His smile growing impossibly large as he exited into the terminal, a familiar mop of brown hair bobbing up and down as he tried to look over people’s heads. Shouyou made his way through the crowd, sighing when he was finally standing face to face with Tooru.
Tooru surged forward cupping his face and he kissed him deeply.
“Hi,” Shouyou said breathlessly dazed when they pulled apart, “I missed you.”
A thumb caressed his cheek before strong arms pulled him in for a hug and squeezed him tenderly, “Welcome home.”
---
Shouyou is pulled back to the present as the waves sway him back, only for a pair of arms to snake around his middle to steady his gait, expert fingers grazing across the expanse of his stomach. Lips trailing kisses across the nape of his neck and his shoulder.
“Careful Shouyou, don’t wanna get swept away. How many times have I told you not to meditate in the middle of the ocean?” their voice husky against the shell of his ear.
“Plenty of times! But I wasn’t meditating, for once.”
“Oh? Is that so, then what were you thinking about hmm?”
Shouyou giggles in the embrace, resting his head on the shoulder behind him, turning his head to meet Tooru, “Nothing really, just—here, this moment. The road here.”
“Ahh, I see. And what exactly did the road lead to?”
Shouyou laughs, pressing his lips lightly against Tooru’s, speaking against his lips, “You should know this by heart already.”
“I like being reminded,” Tooru steals another kiss.
Rolling his eyes, Shouyou replies, “The road to Rio, led me to you and back to you. I love you.”
Shouyou will never get tired of the blinding smile that blooms across Tooru’s face whenever he says that sentence. He turns back towards the sunset just in time to catch the final rays that blaze across the horizon.
He sighs happily, content, invariably lucky as he and Tooru watch the sunset for the hundredth time together since he sat foot back in Rio three years ago.
The road to Rio hadn’t been easy for Shouyou; but finding someone like Tooru to share the journey with, to share his life with, made the final destination that much sweeter.
Squinting his eyes he brings his left hand up to screen the dazzling light that fills their vision. The platinum ring on his ring finger reflects the receding sunlight, adding to the perfection of the beauty that culminated in this moment: being in the ocean waters of Rio, wrapped up in the arms of his husband, the love of his life.